As public school districts across the state face increased expenses and stagnant revenue, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association has introduced a resolution asking for increased state funding.
PSBA is a Harrisburg-based organization that brings issues that affect districts across the state to the attention of state policymakers and the Legislature.
The resolution, which was sent to all PSBA member districts last month, asks for increased state funds to bridge the gap between state-mandated school programs and the money the state pays to cover them, especially for special education, cyber charter tuition and pension costs.
Increased state funding would lessen the burden on districts and on local taxpayers, said Kevin Busher, PSBA chief advocacy officer.
So far, 35 districts, including Burrell School District, Riverview School District, Kiski Area School District, Allegheny Valley and Southmoreland School District in Southwestern Pennsylvania, have signed on.
The resolution comes during school district budget season.
“It was amazing that it came out a week after our budget conversation,” Burrell School Board President LeeAnn Guido said. “We actually had the exact same conversation at our budget meeting about how the costs were rising so much faster, and the amount of money being budgeted in the state budget is not close to covering the rise in costs.”
Burrell faces a $418,000 deficit this year that officials will have to close before next school year’s budget is passed in June. Its draft budget proposes a 4% increase in the real estate tax.
Special education costs across the state have increased by $3.6 billion while state and federal special education funding has only increased by $280 million since the 2009-10 school year, according to the resolution.
Costs for pensions, special education and charter school tuition have increased $6.1 billion, while revenue from the state has increased by only $2 billion.
Delayed state budgets also put a crunch on districts, Busher said.
“We’re starting to see the (Pennsylvania) budget impasses becoming normal,” he said.
Last year’s four-month impasse caused many districts to take money out of their reserve funds or to take on loans, something many are still feeling the consequences of, Busher said.
Burrell School Board member Nikki Watson said a resolution like this has been a long time coming.
She said cyber charter tuition, which public school districts are mandated to pay, strains budgets for brick-and-mortar schools, which have more day-to-day operational costs.
The state continues to mandate that public schools offer more services, such as increased individualized learning plans, but it is not increasing funding to match, she said.
“The state requires local districts to pay for all of these things, so where do we get the money?” Watson said.
As signatures come in, PSBA will use the resolutions to show state legislators what district needs are across the state, Busher said.
Pennsylvania has 500 school districts, with about 496 affiliated with the PSBA, Busher said.
The organization has seen increased awareness of other issues, such as cyber charter funding reform, from past coordinated advocacy efforts, Busher said.
He said districts should sign on by mid-June, as the state budget is supposed to be passed by June 30.
Burrell board member Pam Key is the district’s PSBA liaison.
If the resolution results in additional funding, the district won’t see it until next year, she said.
Key said she hopes more people will attend the board meetings and learn about the budget process.